Veteran bulb growers have learned to put patience ahead of pruning in helping their perennials bloom season after season. They’re in no rush to remove the unsightly leaves and stems of these botanical storehouses, which need time after flowering to renew their growth cycle.

“We consider the foliage of the bulbs the ‘recharging batteries’,” said Becky Heath, president and chief executive officer of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs at Gloucester, Va. “If they aren’t recharged, the flowers won’t bloom again.”

Compost or mulch? People often confuse the two, although each fulfills a different function in gardening.

Which one you want depends on your needs.

“Compost is used to feed crops; mulch is used to suppress weeds,” said Daniel McGrath, a horticulturist with Oregon State University Extension. “Compost is decomposed organic matter that is generally higher in nutrients and relatively low in carbon compared to mulch. Mulch is raw, un-decomposed organic matter.”

You don’t need to live on the prairie to have a prairie garden. Natural landscapes featuring mainly native plants are being sown in yards across North America as environmentally friendly alternatives to turf grass.

Thirsty lawns, energy production, and expanding “wet” industries like hydraulic fracture mining and farm irrigation are vying for water resources, leading to tougher watering restrictions and higher prices.

People new to gardening ask the darndest questions: about how seeds work, about growing the perfect tomato, about waging war with insects (many of them beneficial).

No question is a bad question, though, since good gardening requires a never-ending supply of information. Beginners can find it by talking with neighborhood gardeners, nurseries, extension agents or by looking online.

Mid- to late summer is prime time for gardeners — a last chance to grow a second batch of fresh vegetables before the plant-killing frosts arrive. Add a few protective enclosures, such as cold frames, overhead sheets and hoops, and the harvest can be extended until Thanksgiving and beyond.

“The goal is to have fully grown, ready-to-pick plants that basically store themselves in the garden throughout the fall, so you can pick them as you need them over a long, sustained garden season,” said Renee Shepherd, founder of Renee’s Garden Seeds in Felton, Calif.

Mid- to late summer is prime time for gardeners — a last chance to grow a second batch of fresh vegetables before the plant-killing frosts arrive. Add a few protective enclosures, such as cold frames, overhead sheets and hoops, and the harvest can be extended until Thanksgiving and beyond.

“The goal is to have fully grown, ready-to-pick plants that basically store themselves in the garden throughout the fall, so you can pick them as you need them over a long, sustained garden season,” said Renee Shepherd, founder of Renee’s Garden Seeds in Felton, Calif.